COVID Case Rate Drops

Ohio’s COVID-19 case ratio has dropped for the third consecutive week, down to the lowest rate the state has seen in six months.

Since March, Ohio’s two-week COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people:

March 10 - 156
March 18 - 143
March 25 - 146
April 1 - 167
April 8 - 183
April 15 - 200
April 22 - 185
April 29 - 155
May 6 - 140

Despite the improvement, Lucas County has the highest rate in the state at 249.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Cuyahoga County at 216.1.

Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 38 remain on Level 3/Red alert; 43 are a step lower at Level 2/Orange and seven at Yellow, the lowest level. For comparison, there were 45 counties on Red alert last week. Two weeks ago, there were 52 red-alert counties, plus Franklin a step higher at Level 4/Purple. The alert system takes into account several factors, including case rates, hospitalizations and trips to doctors’ offices.

Vaccination Slows

As of this morning, more than 4 million people have completed the coronavirus vaccines in Ohio, which is 34.25% of the population. In addition, nearly 41% have started the vaccination process. But the pace has slowed considerably.

While the first four months of the vaccine rollout were defined by scarcity, availability of vaccines is now widespread in many areas with many vaccination providers across the state accepting walk-in appointments. That includes the state-federal mass vaccination clinic in downtown Cleveland. The site will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine next week to anyone age 18 or older. The clinic, which is operating in partnership between the state of Ohio, Federal Emergency Management Agency, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, and Cleveland State University, launched in mid-March. In its first six weeks of operations, more than 237,000 first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered.

State officials have said they are ready to inoculate children age 12 to 15 when the Pfizer vaccine receives authorization, which is expected as early as next week. Expanded eligibility to hundreds of thousands more Ohioans would advance vaccination numbers at a time when providers are encountering hesitancy in the population.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week that vaccinated employees at nursing homes and long-term care facilities will no longer be required to take part in the twice-a-week COVID-19 testing protocol.

Debate Continues on State Budget Bill

The Ohio Senate continues to debate HB 110, the state’s two-year budget bill. The bill contains several provisions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a proposed 2% state income tax cut, and language that addresses funding for K-12 schools. 

OU-HCOM Executive Dean Kenneth H. Johnson, DO, appeared before the Senate Workforce & Higher Education Committee as that panel considers HB 110 provisions. Johnson urged the panel to undo a 4% reduction in FY 2022 for the medical school clinical teaching line items.

“Every dollar of these carefully delineated clinical teaching line items is used to its fullest potential and plays a significant part in the success of Ohio's medical schools,” Johnson said in testimony on behalf of the Ohio Council of Medical School Deans. “While more dollars devoted to these areas could have an even greater impact, we are sensitive to the budget constraints the legislature must impose in meeting the many challenges facing the state, and therefore we are requesting only that these line items be restored to flat funding for FY 2022, and that the currently proposed 4% increases in FY 2023 be retained.”

The Ohio House of Representatives passed the budget bill, 70-27, in April.

In other legislative news, the House voted 92-3, in favor of HB 37, which expands options to obtain lifesaving drugs during an emergency. It would increase from one to three the number of times a pharmacist can provide certain drugs during a one-year period without a prescription. It also requires insurers to cover those drugs if already covered under the plan. HB 176 also passed unanimously. The bill modernizes law related to athletic trainers.

Refinance Your Student Loan by June 30

If you’re a federal student loan borrower, now is not the time to refinance since payments and interest are on pause through September. But if you’re a private student loan borrower, it’s a great time to take a second look at your options and take advantage of the low rates before they rise again. If your credit score is better than when you last applied for a private student loan, you’re in even better shape to qualify for a low rate. Plus, through a partnership with SoFi, OOA members get a special double discount rate of 0.5% when refinancing a student loan before June 30.

In addition, SoFi is offering a free webinar on May 19. Navigating an Evolving Student Loan Marketplace: For Transitioning Physicians will focus on refinancing considerations.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine will hold commencement exercises tomorrow Saturday, May 8, at 2:00 pm on the Athens campus. The event will observe safety protocols with social distancing, limited attendance, and other measures.

The ceremony will be live-streamed here.